


When Cloud Smiles...

by LRMatthews



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Fluff, M/M, POV First Person, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-09
Updated: 2014-04-09
Packaged: 2018-01-18 17:27:01
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1436659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LRMatthews/pseuds/LRMatthews
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zack reflects on an aspect of Cloud.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When Cloud Smiles...

My smile – or grin, more like – can charm just about anyone (with the notable exception of Turks, but they still seem to like me). It’s the kind of smile that makes people smile back, and the kind that makes more than a few girls – and a healthy dose of guys – all kinds of giggly. You can practically _see_ the pink hearts bursting like effervescent pheromone-bubbles in the air. It’s usually not a conscious effort on my part, but I _know_ I have that effect and I’ll use it if I think it’ll help me get my way. Mostly, though, it’s just natural. My mom always told me I was born to bring sunshine. (I’m sure all moms say stuff like that, though.)

Far rarer is Sephiroth’s smile. Lots of people probably think they’ve seen it, but that’s not the real one. It’s either the careful curving of the lips when a smile would be appropriate in the given situation, or the twisting smirk when he’s sadistically amused or feeling particularly superior (which is a lot, really). But his actual smile is wonderful. It’s soft and gentle and it takes years off of him. Not that he looks old to begin with, but you’d know what I mean if you ever saw it. I wouldn’t say it’s a child-like smile – he just looks so young, so peaceful. And, of course, so beautiful. Everyone knows how beautiful Sephiroth is, even if they’ll never see it in its full glory.

But when Cloud smiles….

My God.

It absolutely takes my breath away. Every time.

I don’t mean that self-conscious little grin he gives everyone, or even the brighter laughing version that I can usually wheedle out of him. I mean his true smile, his most genuine smile. The one that’s small and simple but radiates such innocence and joy and love; the one that makes you believe that, no matter _what_ happens, everything will be alright because Cloud is smiling.

It affects Sephiroth the same way, I know it does, I’ve seen it. I’ve seen him get sucked into its radiance the same way I do, completely spellbound. I’ve tried to put a name to the way Cloud looks: Angelic, godly, transcendent. None of it’s good enough. All I can say is that I would gladly follow Cloud to Hell if that’s what he wanted, needed (and so would Sephiroth, whether he’d ever admit it out loud or not). I would kill for him. I would die for him.

But the most important thing about that smile is that it lets us know Cloud is _ours_ , to have and keep, forever and ever. As long as he keeps smiling, everything will be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by the end of Advent Children.
> 
> Originally written Oct. 2008


End file.
